PARTNER for Training Success: READY objectives, design, and delivery
So you have come to the realization that a training and development initiative is required. After stepping back to look at the big Picture, and then following that with an Analysis of the situation, it is time to prepare the most appropriate intervention; it is time to Ready your resources.
The third step in the PARTNER* model is READY objectives, design, and delivery.
Program Objectives
If you have successfully completed the first two stages of the PARTNER model, you should have the information necessary to develop key objectives for your training program. In fact, the objectives should be revealing themselves to you. You should be looking for answers to the following questions:
- What is the purpose of your program?
- How will you measure success?
- Have you considered which organizational metrics must be considered or improved for your program to be considered a success?
- What LROI (learning return on investment) issues need to be considered?
- How will you verify your program objectives?
- Who needs to give the program objectives the stamp of approval?
Design Methodology
The design process must work hand-in-hand with the delivery mechanism (see next heading). And like the process behind determining program objectives, there are a number of questions that you will want to answers for, either by seeking them out or coming to them on your own:
- Do you want to design a template that will be used to brand your program and provide consistency of application?
- Have you considered how your program will be evaluated and measured by learners?
- What feedback mechanisms and follow-up plans will be built into the design?
- Who will you be involving in the design process, (i.e. subject matter experts, trainers, curriculum designers, learners)?
Delivery Mechanisms
The methods of delivering training programs can be as varied as your imagination will allow. However, there are common approaches that have stood the test of time and continue to be used because they have a solid track record. Like any approach though, the time and effort put in up front will pay dividends. Consider the following approaches:
Resources and Infrastructure – Answering this question up front could well determine which approach or approaches you will be using and which ones you will not. This should hearken back to the research you did in the Picture step of the PARTNER model. Know what you are working with (and without) before inadvertently painting yourself into a corner.
External or Internal – An important consideration will be whether you are going to delivery your program using internal resources or if there will be more value for the learner and organization by using an external mechanism. And what would those be? They could include accredited post-secondary institutions offering continuing education programs or customized contract training solutions; they could also include national or multi-national corporate training companies that specialize in offering in-class or onsite training from a standard catalogue of easily customized content.
Coaching / Mentoring – This approach is more focused on working with individual learners. The individual filling the role of coach or mentor should have some type of certification in providing one-on-one coaching or mentoring. Mind you, the degree to which this may be required will be driven by the scope of your program.
Classroom – The traditional method of training and development, classroom delivery is the picture that comes to mind most frequently when people are asked to describe a learning process. And it still has an important role to play in the world of corporate learning and training. The classroom model can make sense when you have a large group of learners who are all required to learn the same content, or when you want to capitalize on external subject matter experts coming in to deliver customized content.
On the Job – When needing to transfer the unwritten, unspoken, and hidden storehouse of knowledge that resides within organizations (frequently referred to as tacit knowledge), on-the-job experiential training approaches should probably be considered.
E-learning – Referred to as e-learning, online learning, or computer based learning (you get the picture), this exciting and recent development in content delivery is being considered by more and more organizations as costs continue to come down. If you are considering e-learning delivery as an option, you will want to go back to the Picture step again to ensure that you have the infrastructure required to make it happen. This may need to be one of those “internal or external” resource discussions.
Blended – This is where training and development really begins to shine. And this is where both the needs of the learner and the organization can truly be met. When e-learning first hit the scene, many organizational leaders, interested in addressing escalating training costs and in using technology to train employees, took the implied e-learning promise to be that training efficiencies realized through using the new technology will go straight to the bottom line while revenue growth resulting from training will go straight to the top line. The pendulum has swung back. Combining e-learning with other forms of more traditional learning like classroom, has proven a winner and is bringing those training wins to the organization.
* The PARTNER model (Picture, Analysis, Ready, Train, Nurture, Evaluate, and Revisit) looks at each step in the development, design, delivery, and follow-up process and breaks it down into a simple to follow template.
This is post 4 of the PARTNER Model … view the others by following these links:
- PARTNER for Training Success
- Look at the big PICTURE
- ANALYSIS of Needs, Wants, and Identifying Gaps
- READY objectives, design, and delivery approach
- TRAIN delivery, context, and learner needs
PARTNER for Training Success
My blog entry from November 23/09 introduced a model that I designed to address the needs of individuals or teams that had little background in the design and delivery of training programs. The PARTNER model’s purpose is to provide an easy to follow, step-by-step process that will result in a program that will, at the very least, have a much better chance of succeeding and in providing a positive LROI (Learning Return on Investment).
The PARTNER model (Picture, Analysis, Ready, Train, Nurture, Evaluate, and Revisit) looks at each step in the development, design, delivery, and follow-up process and breaks it down into a simple to follow template. This blog post will be the first of a series of posts that will explore each step and it’s application.
To recap PARTNER …
“P”icture: Look at the big picture; the context; the overarching objectives; the who’s who in the company, trainer, learner triumvirate
“A”nalysis: Just what are the needs and wants of the different stakeholders? Identify the gaps and prepare to address them
“R”eady: Define your objectives and write them down; design your program(s); prepare for an effective delivery through facilitator preparation (e.g. train-the-trainer initiatives)
“T”rain: Deliver the training; know the context and required delivery method (classroom, e-learning, experiential, on-the-job, mentorship, coaching, etc.); always consider the needs of the learner
“N”urture: Coach the application of learning; have a before, during, and after training learner plan; use different tools as applicable and appropriate (e.g. learner contracts)
“E”valuate: Know your objectives before you begin; understand what LROI is and why it is the cornerstone of your entire training program; use a proven evaluation model and work it to fit your needs (e.g. Kirkpatrick, Phillips)
“R”evisit: It’s not over until it’s over; measuring success means using all of the feedback generated from all the stakeholders to further refine and modify your program as required; engrain the concept of learning as vital to the work culture
This is post 1 of the PARTNER Model … view the others by following these links:
- PARTNER for Training Success
- Look at the big PICTURE
- ANALYSIS of Needs, Wants, and Identifying Gaps
- READY objectives, design, and delivery approach
- TRAIN delivery, context, and learner needs
Understand the E-learner
Any organization that commits to undertaking an e-learning component as part of their learning and development strategy must make an effort to understand their learners. Unfortunately, it seems that many organizational leaders are sold on new e-learning technology as a way to reduce the investment in their training budget while frequently the needs of the learner seem to be ignored.
It would be foolhardy and potentially costly to overlook the fundamentals of adult learners as advanced by Malcolm Knowles, namely:
- Adults need to know why they are learning something; they must believe it will have a personal benefit;
- Adults have lifetime experiences that should be tapped and built upon;
- Adults learn best from hands-on, problem-solving approaches to learning; and
- Adults will expect to apply new knowledge and skills immediately, which will aid retention.
Understanding your corporate learners is important if you are to effectively work with Knowles’ fundamentals.
The process to start understanding learners can be accomplished by having prospective e-learners complete a short questionnaire or even through a one-on-one interview setting with an organizational e-learning champion. If the survey option is used, follow up with those that self-identify through their responses that they would be at risk in an e-learning environment. Questions requesting information about age, educational background, organizational tenure, and familiarity and comfort with computers and e-learning should be asked. Understanding the employees that will be participating in a company sponsored e-learning curriculum is no different than taking the time to understand employees that will be participating in in-class, on-the-job, or other training avenues. As a training leader (facilitator of learning), it is your responsibility to play a key role in delivering a positive LROI (Learning Return on Investment). In this case you can do that by making the effort to understand the e-learner.
This is post 2 of 7 of the E-learning Success Model … view the others by following these links:
- A Model for E-learning Success
- Understand the E-learner
- Onsite E-learning Champions
- In-Class Orientation for E-learners
- Support from the E-learner’s Manager
- Provided time to E-learners during Work Hours
- Let E-learners Have a Role in Choosing their E-learning Courses
External or Internal Trainers?
When looking at different training initiatives for your organization, it can be very tempting to go with an exclusively internal solution … especially if the focus is on the bottom line cost and not the learning-return-on-investment (LROI). While cost should play a role in ultimately determining which way you will go, too frequently it disproportionately outweighs all others.
When looking at different training initiatives for your organization, it can be very tempting to go with an exclusively external solution … especially if the focus is on the bottom line cost and not the LROI. While cost should play a role in ultimately determining which way you will go, too frequently it disproportionately outweighs all others.
Do I hear an echo in here?
Clearly the same argument can be made for either internal or external resources, especially if the focus is exclusively on the bottom line (and in your experience, you may well have heard it used both ways). So what other factors should be considered in the LROI equation? There are two that I think should sit at or near the top of the list
1. Cultural connection
It is important that the organization’s culture be understood and respected. Depending on the purpose of the training, the cultural connection could possibly be best addressed using internal resources … or it may best be left to external resources (e.g. implementing a program that will result in a cultural shift). There’s no short answer here, just a need to be aware of this key consideration.
2. Expertise
Here is where taking advantage of subject matter experts (SMEs) comes into play. If you are in an environment that is unique, with little external subject matter expertise available, then clearly your internal SMEs will be playing a significant role. Or perhaps there is a requirement to engage with external sources because your needs/gap analysis has revealed that the required knowledge or skill sets don’t exist internally.
So what is the bottom line here? Focusing exclusively on your bottom line cost when designing and/or delivering training programs could end up costing you more in the long run. At the very least, the three key factors mentioned above, (bottom line, cultural connection, expertise), should be considered when attempting to maximize your LROI.
What other factors do you feel should be considered in creating a positive LROI equation?
